by Rayna Morgan
The full realization struck Paul like a blow to the gut. "She had no way of knowing who would receive the poisoned food."
Lea gasped. "It could have been any one of us."
Maddy's hand flew to her face covering her mouth. "Geez, Sis, how many times during this case have you almost bought the farm?"
Paul's eyes locked on his friend's like magnets. "Talking about farms, how did you resolve the subject of our last conversation, buddy?"
Tom kicked Paul under the table.
"Ouch," Paul complained.
"What are you two going on about?" Maddy demanded.
Tom winked at Paul. "Just dumb guy talk. Nothing for you to worry your pretty head over."
The waitress served their plates giving Tom a chance to change the conversation. "I have a question for you," he said to Lea, passing her the rolls. "Since you ruled out Angelo because he was your client, everything pointed to Julia. When did you start to suspect Dianne?"
Lea responded, her cheeks coloring. "After I unfairly accused you of being single-minded …"
"In pursuing Angelo as the prime suspect," Tom finished her sentence.
"Yes. It made me wonder if I could be guilty of the same thing."
"In what regard were you single-minded?" Paul asked, baffled.
"In assuming the poison was in the mushrooms. The assumption seemed logical because the timing between the dinner and the performance was right for the poison to take effect. I asked myself how else the poison could have been served during the meal."
"In the soup," the other three exclaimed in unison.
"Which, in turn, pointed to the person who served the soup," Lea continued. "The Pre-Production Dinner gave Dianne the perfect opportunity to deliver the poison. Before going to the hotel, she cut the stems of water hemlock plants releasing poisonous liquid which she poured into a vial. Killing Barrett was a simple matter of pouring the hemlock into his soup before serving it. When she finished at the Pre-Production dinner, she walked along the bike path to the Theatre. She tossed the empty vial onto the rocks where Gracie later found it."
She sat back as they all silently reflected while the waitress cleared the plates. "I feel badly for Dianne and the events that drove her to such a desperate resolution," Lea mused. "I also have a vague sense that the outcome was less than complete."
"What do you mean?" Paul asked.
"How can we be sure Dianne was the only one with intent to kill?"
"Are you questioning whether Julia meant the amount of poison she gave Barrett and Angelo to be fatal?" Tom asked.
"I know Julia denies it but frankly, I have my doubts."
"Unfortunately, that's something I'll never be able to prove with any certainty," Tom said.
"You mean Julia may have gotten away with two attempted murders?" Maddy asked, disgust obvious in her tone.
"She may pay a price of a different nature down the road," Paul suggested, a smile playing on his lips.
"What are you implying, babe?" Lea asked.
"Angelo is going to recover. Knowing his partner poisoned him will double his intention of not selling. Julia will have no choice but to continue running the Theatre to ensure it stays profitable enough to support her. The difference will be the Artistic Director of the Theatre. If she had a hard time putting up with Barrett, imagine what it will be like for her dealing with Chad every day."
"Sounds to me like there will be a just outcome after all," Maddy snickered.
Paul's next comment to Tom surprised the sisters. "Speaking of just outcomes, I hope you're appreciative of the great job my wife and Maddy did in helping you solve the case."
"They did alright,” Tom conceded. “Of course, I would have stood a better chance of finding the murderer myself if the suspects had been honest with me when I questioned them."
"Need I remind you," Maddy said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "we were given the same misleading information. It didn't stop my sister from sorting out the facts."
"Let me be the first to give credit where credit is due," Tom said, dropping a plastic card on the bill tray. "Yeah, I know. This one's on me," he said, grinning at Lea.
"You bet your sweet bippy, it is," Lea crowed, "and the next three dinners as well."
She and Paul walked toward the exit hand in hand. Maddy lingered at the table with Tom.
"How did things turn out with the bookie?" she asked. "Did he turn out to be the break you needed?"
"The bookie's vanished along with any hopes I had of nailing the racketeer."
"You aren't giving up, are you?"
"Never; you know me better than that. But there's nothing more we can do for now; I'm calling off the search. In fact, I'm planning to take some vacation time."
"Wow, that's a new twist. What are you going to do?"
A smile spread slowly across his lips. He put his finger under her chin, tilting her head up. He stared so deeply into her eyes, she went limp. "That's completely up to you, Mad."
• • •
Joining their friends at the front entrance, Tom said, "Maddy and I are going to catch a flick. Want to come?"
"At the theatre?" Lea asked, her voice cracking.
"Relax, we're talking about the movie theatre."
Lea looked at Paul, reading his mind. She turned to the twosome. "We'll pass on the theatre. Come over to our house," she suggested. "We'll microwave some popcorn and watch a movie at home."
The four friends walked out of the restaurant laughing.
<<<<>>>>
MURDER WESTERN STYLE
A Sister Sleuths Mystery
Book 3
Rayna Morgan
CHAPTER ONE
When Lea and Maddy arrived at the fairgrounds, the parking lot was already filling with cars. In the small coastal town where they lived, the annual rodeo was a popular event.
“Thanks for inviting me, Sis,” Lea said, watching the swarms of people streaming in. “Believe it or not, this is my first rodeo.”
“Shame on you, girl. You’ve been missing out until you’ve seen steer wrestling and bronc riding.”
“I tried to get Paul to come, but he’s playing in the softball tournament today,” Lea said.
“You made the right choice. Rodeos are more exciting than softball games. Watching all these cowboys walking around in their chaps isn’t hard on the eyes either.” Maddy laughed, shaking her long brunette hair as she pulled on a cowboy hat.
She nodded toward a man in front of them carrying a saddle. He turned in time to catch her stare. “Don’t flatter yourself, cowboy,” she said, peering over the rim of her sunglasses. “I was looking at your boots.”
His smile broadened as he tipped his hat and moved away.
Flustered, Maddy looked toward the rodeo arena. “There’s Katie.”
She waved at a girl dressed in a red-and-black plaid shirt, a black hat with a silver band, and leather boots with fancy red-and-black stitching.
“Look at you!” Maddy said, wrapping her arms around the twelve-year-old. “You’ve got to be the prettiest cowgirl at the rodeo. You must be breaking plenty of young cowboys’ hearts today.”
The girl’s cheeks turned rosy as Maddy turned to her sister.
“Katie Miller, this is my sister. Lea, this is Scott’s daughter.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” the girl said, extending her hand before poking Maddy. “It’s not my looks that will bring home the Junior Cowgirls trophy. It’s all my hard training. I hope it pays off.”
She looked older than her age except for the string of freckles splashed across her nose. “We only have three more events to qualify for the finals. I have a chance to rack up a bunch of points today.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Maddy said, “you’ll knock ‘em dead.”
Anxious to find her horse and get mounted, Katie pulled Maddy’s hand. “I can’t wait to get started. Dad’s waiting for us at the horse trailer.”
• • •
Lea and Maddy glimpsed
the grandstand where people were filing in to find seats, anxious to cheer on their favorite contestants. Passing the concession area, they inhaled the aroma of hamburgers sizzling on the grill, brisket simmering in a smoker, and marinated ribs cooking. The sounds of men calling out and horses whinnying surrounded them. They inhaled the pungent, spicy smells coming from the tent where the barbecue cook-off was being held.
“Think your dad can get us into that tent later?” Maddy asked, drooling.
“All the contestants get tickets to the barbecue,” Katie said.
“One of my customers is a judge for the cook-off,” Maddy said. “I told her if she could get me on that judging panel next year, I’d give her a discount on the next piece of furniture she buys.”
“Is your dad entered in any competitions today?” Lea asked Katie, ignoring her sister’s food rantings.
“He’s in the shooting contest. Dad’s the best shooter in the county,” the girl beamed. “He’s won the event the last five years in a row and—”
Katie was interrupted by the sound of loud voices as they neared an area filled with campers and trailers. Maddy pulled the girl up short as she and Katie recognized a voice belonging to her father.
“Back off, Albert. You’re being a jerk. This is a friendly competition. Let’s keep it fun for our kids.”
“Don’t think for a minute your daughter’s beating my girl today,” the other voice snarled. “Lucy can ride rings around Katie any day of the week. Your kid only wins events because she gets preferential treatment due to your position on the board of the Cattlemen’s Association.”
“That’s our neighbor, Albert Benson,” Katie whispered. “I’m riding against his daughter today. Lucy and I are friends, but her father always tries to pit us against each other. He turns everything Lucy does into a competition. He embarrasses her in front of the kids at school.”
Lea and Maddy crouched and moved closer so they could see the man Katie was referring to.
“That’s not true, Albert,” Scott said. “Katie gets everything she earns through hard work.”
Maddy noted the crimson color flooding Katie’s face, but Lea’s attention stayed riveted on the man Katie called their neighbor.
His thin body shook, contorted in angry spasms. His jaws tightened as he spewed venom. “Your family’s been throwing their weight around this county for years. But my daughter’s going to take all of you down a peg when she whips your daughter in the Junior Championship. There will be one less trophy for you to display on your mantel.”
With an ugly sneer, the man spat a wad of chewing tobacco on the ground in front of Scott, spattering the cowboy’s boots. His arm swung out in a misdirected punch.
“Dad, no,” Katie screamed, a moment too late. Her father landed a hammer blow hard enough that Albert fell to the ground.
Scott wheeled around, surprised to see his daughter running toward him. “What are you doing here?” He stooped on one knee to put an arm around her. She was clearly shaken by the violent exchange.
“Albert and I were just airing a difference of opinion. It got out of hand. It’s all right; no damage done.”
“No damage done, you SOB?” Albert yelled brushing away the hand Scott extended to help him to his feet. “You may have cracked my tooth.”
“You brought it on yourself,” Scott said.
“Says who?” Albert asked, sarcastically.
“Beg your pardon, sir,” Maddy said, advancing toward the man as he brushed soil from his pants. “We saw the whole thing. You looked to me like a man poking a stick at a bear. You should have known to stop before you made the grizzly mad.”
The man glared at Maddy. “Butt out, lady.”
“Don’t disrespect the woman,” Scott warned.
“Get out of my way,” Albert yelled, pushing past Scott. “But don’t think for a moment this is over.”
Katie clung to her father as their neighbor stomped away. “Are you okay, Dad?”
Scott looked at the red welt spreading across his knuckles and shuffled his feet. “I’m sorry you all saw that. It was uncalled for on my part. I shouldn’t have let the fool get to me that way. My apologies to you and your sister, Maddy.”
“I’m beginning to see why Maddy says Rodeos are exciting,” Lea said.
“And you haven’t even seen the bull riding,” Maddy said.
They all laughed before Scott turned and headed toward a trailer calling over his shoulder. “C’mon, Katie. Let’s get you ready for the barrel racing. Chief’s all saddled up and raring to go.”
“Is your ride today the Chumash Indian chief who lives on your ranch?” Maddy asked, teasing dimples out of the girl as they followed Scott to the horse trailer.
“No, silly.” Katie giggled. “Chief gave me a colt when we moved back to the ranch from Colorado. I named the horse in his honor. That horse and I have been together every day since.”
Maddy turned to Scott as he held a stirrup and boosted Katie into the saddle. “We hear you’ll be competing today.”
“I might try my hand at the mounted shooting,” he said, pushing his hat back on his head.
“Katie told us you’re the champion,” Lea said.
Scott looked at his daughter. Pride shone in her face.
“Now, girl. What have I told you about sounding boastful?” her father said, but his eyes sparkled as he pulled at her braided ponytail. “Go get ’em, girl. We’ll be rooting you on from the stands. Have fun.”
The three adults watched the girl and the horse gallop away in a synchronized, fluid motion.
• • •
“That was quite a dust-up you had with the other rancher,” Maddy said, as they headed toward the arena.
“Oh, that’s just Albert being Albert. He always walks around with a chip on his shoulder. I shouldn’t have let him get under my skin.”
“He sounds really competitive where his daughter’s concerned.”
“He’s always pushing his kids to win. He uses them to compensate for how unfairly he thinks life has treated him.”
“Unfairly how?” Lea asked.
“Life dealt him a hand that turned him bitter. His wife, Victoria, died in childbirth. She had a hard time with the birth of their son, Dalton. The doctor told her she shouldn’t have more children, but Albert wanted another boy. The second time, she wasn’t so lucky. Albert felt double cursed when the baby his wife died delivering wasn’t the second son he wanted. He got a daughter: Katie’s friend, Lucy.”
“The way I see things, pain is pretty much a guaranteed part of life,” Maddy said. “Suffering is up to the individual.”
“I can’t fault your take on things, Maddy,” Scott said and smiled, “but I don’t think anything will be changing Albert anytime soon. Let’s not let it spoil our day. We’ve got time to grab lunch before Katie’s first event. Let me treat you two to some mouth-watering barbecue.”
• • •
An hour later, their appetites satisfied, Scott, Maddy, and Lea took seats in the arena near the front where they would be easily visible to Katie as she rode past. They turned their attention to the voice coming over the loudspeaker announcing the riders for the barrel racing.
Maddy sneezed, inhaling the dust rising from the arena as the horses galloped around the ring.
Scott grinned. “Sounds like someone’s going to have a stuffy nose tonight.”
“It’s all good,” Maddy replied. “I’ll take rodeo dust over smog any day of the week.”
When Katie’s name was announced, she rode into the middle of the arena, waving her hat over her head and smiling in their direction.
Lucy Benson’s name was called next. Several moments passed without Albert’s daughter making an entrance. Her name was repeated over the loudspeaker, and she still didn’t appear. The announcer issued a warning the contestant would be scratched from the competition if she didn’t appear momentarily.
Scott mumbled under his breath. “Has that fool wasted so much time bragging
up his daughter that they’ve missed the competition? I’ll go round them up.”
At last, the starting gun went off signaling the start of the contest. There was still no sign of Lucy, and Scott hadn’t returned.
“Katie would want you to see her,” Lea said, patting her sister’s knee. “I’ll go look for them.”
Lea left to search for Scott, and Maddy watched alone as Katie raced around the barrels.
• • •
Running into the campground, Lea saw Scott standing beside a young girl she knew must be Lucy Benson. They stood motionless, staring at the ground in front of them.
“What’s the holdup?” Lea asked, coming up behind them. “What’s happened?”
“Dad, oh my gawd, Dad,” the girl sobbed.
Lea saw the answer to her question: Albert Benson’s body lying face up in the dust, blood seeping slowly across the front of his shirt.
Scott’s arm encircled the shaking girl. He looked at Lea; shock registered on his face. “I’ll get her away from here.”
Lea punched in the emergency number on her cell phone as she followed Scott to his camper.
Lucy slumped into a chair beside a small dining table. The color had drained from her face, and her body shivered.
Scott pulled a blanket from a cupboard and tried to wrap it around the girl, but she pulled away sharply. “Leave me alone. My father hated you. He was always telling Dalton and me about how you and your family try to control things. Now he’s dead. I never want to see you or your family again.”
The girl flung open the door of the camper and ran out, crashing into Katie and Maddy coming up the stairs. She hurled herself against a tree, sobs racking her slender body.
Scott started after the girl, but Katie grabbed his arm. “Don’t, Dad. She’s upset. I’ll take her to find Dalton.”
Scott leaned against the door-frame, shaking his head.
“What was that all about?” Lea asked, referring to the angry words the girl had spoken.
“Old history. Nothing that has anything to do with what happened here today. Lucy’s out of her head right now.”
